Symptoms of diarrhea in cats are common. This is not generally anything to worry about, especially if the cat is still drinking and eating well, but it’s important that you do something to help ease his discomfort. Here are some tips for treating diarrhea in cats.
- Stop feeding your cat any food which might have caused this problem initially. Diarrhea will be much less severe if you resolve this quickly. Don’t wait to see what happens, even if the food was recommended by your vet – just stop giving it! If you can’t identify the offending ingredient(s) then try chicken-based canned foods or boiled white rice with boiled chicken until things settle out again.
- Try to give your cat small amounts of water frequently. Diarrhea depletes your cat of fluid, so you need to make up for this by giving small amounts often. This is not always easy if your cat struggles when handled, but try even just wetting the food with a few drops of water to get things started again.
- Give your cat an antidiarrheal medication, such as Pepto Bismol or Imodium A-D (available over the counter at pharmacies). These will help firm up stools and may also be suitable for use in cats, though they are really intended for people.
- If these measures do not result in an improvement within 24 hours, or if your cat becomes dehydrated through diarrhea or vomiting then you should seek veterinary attention without delay.
- If your cat is suffering from diarrhea then he may not want to eat for a few days, even if the problem has resolved itself. However, you will need to tempt him with different foods until he does start eating again (see my tips on tempting cats with food here ).
Cat diarrhea when to call the vet
When it comes to living creatures, there are some things that are out of the realm of our control. One of these is your cat’s health. If she becomes ill, you will need to rely on your veterinarian for assistance.
When should I call my vet?
Here are some situations that may arise and what you should do if they occur
- Keep an eye on things and make sure that they don’t get any worse! At the first sign of blood or mucus in the stools, vomiting or lack of appetite, take your cat to see your vet immediately. Prevention is better than cure when it comes to most feline diseases – so learn more about how you can protect your cat against parasites.
- It has been less than 24 hours since your cat started acting sick. You need to consult with a veterinarian immediately. The sooner he evaluates her, the better her chances of making a full recovery.
- Your cat’s symptoms have not subsided after 48 hours or so of medication . This means she either did not take the medication properly or she is not improving from it. If you have been diligently giving your cat the medicine as prescribed, then you should contact a vet for a new treatment plan.
You can’t afford to pay for a vet visit
This may be true in some circumstances, but keep in mind that if you cannot afford medical treatment for your pet, many veterinarians will work out payment plans with you or treat your animal for free. Your veterinarian will let you know what he can do to get payment options set up so that no one is turned away from receiving care due to lack of funds.
[…] times per day, your vet immediately because it likely means that your pup has a health condition. Diarrhea needs to be treated by a professional immediately because it can cause dehydration and even death if not dealt with […]